Skeleton tower



' J. S. ADAMS.

SKELETON TOWER.

No. 306,374. Patented Oct. 14, 1884.

t 4 r t t (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. S. ADAMS.

SKELETON TOWER.

No. 306,374. Patented Oct. 14, 1884.

\ /LTNE55EE Q Z1, a W

N, PETERS. Pholoifllwgmphcr. Washmglml u c,

, ropes by which the cab is guided.

Unrrnn Brianne Parent Outlet.

JOHN S. ADAMS, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE DETROIT IRON TOW'ER COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SKELETON TOWER.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,37}, dated October 14, 1884. Application filed May 11, 188-2. Renewed March as, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. ADAMS, of Elgin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skeleton Towers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, olear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in skeleton towers intended for the recep tion of hoisting apparatus; and it consists in the several features of construction, and in the various combinations of devices, hereinafter fully set forth, and designated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown as applied to a skeleton tower of, say, from one hundred to three hundred feet in height, and suited to the support of an electric light. The tower may be supposed to be constructed of tubular iron, having connec tions of east malleable iron. Figure 1 shows the base-sections of atriangular skeleton tower of the general description set forth in other patents granted to me. Fig. 2is aperspective view of the upper portion of the tower, showing the devices for suspending the elevator and for the attachment of the upper landing, frame. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section of the tower above the lowerelevator-landing, and showing the elevator-cab lowered. Fig. 4 is'a vertical transverse section of the frame of the lower elevator-landing, illustrating the use of one of the transverse bars of said frame as the separating-bar for the elevator guide-ropes, and asbeing also attached to thew ei ght by which said ropes are held taut. Fig.5 is a detail showing a safety-clutch applied to the lifting mechanism of the cab, and adapted to operate in combination with the yielding or flexible Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the elevator-pulley in side elevation,together with one ofthe inclined standards supporting the same, and an adjustable bearing for the pulley.

A A represent the uprights or posts of a triangular tower, and BB the system of horizontal cross ties and braces which join the uprights to form a hollow skeleton structure of triangular pyramidal form.

0 O are rods connected with the upper eX- tremities of the uprights A, and inclined upward and inward therefrom to converge over the middle of the tower, forming, as here shown, a tripedal support for the elevator and its guides or ways.

D is the elevator-cab.

D is its suspending-rope.

E E are the ropeor rod guides for the cab D.

E is a bar from which the ropes E are immediately suspended.

E is a second bar, located at the lower end of the ropes E, by which the latter are held at a proper distance apart.

F is a weight attached to the bar E by which the ropes E are held taut.

G is a raised platform or landing leading to the elevator-cab. l

- His a frame for a landing and surrounding rail at the top of the tower.

I The upper ends of the tower-uprights are connected by horizontal ties B B, which prevent their spreading, being joined by means of suitable fittings, A. The feet of the converging inclined standards 0 rest upon the uprights A, being therewith joined, as "here shown, by means of the transverse bars (J and the rather widely branched fittings O. At their upper ends the rods 0 unite in a fitting, G which is also constructed to receive and sustain the central mast, A (Shown broken off in Fig. 2.) r

The object of the branched form of the connections G, as herein shown, is to more firmly and widely support the bars 0 which pass through the former, as seen in Fig. 2, and which bars are extended to form supports for a landing and its surrounding guard-rail H. The platform of the landing will consist preferably of iron tubes, suitably joined and secured and arranged to rest upon the bars but said platform may consist of planks or slats arranged and secured in place in any suitable manner. One of the inclined standards, as G, is made bifurcated, as clearly seen in Fig. 2, for the purpose of supporting the pulley 0 between the legs 0 c, said legs having fitted and secured thereto the bearings c for the pulley-shaft. A branched three-way casting, c, connects the legs 0 c at their upper ends, and a short single rod or tube joins said v; plane. serve to sustain the inner end of the landing casting with the central elevated casting, C The pulley O 'will' be arranged to suspend the cab D accurately in the middle of the tower. From and beneath the casting O the transverse horizontal bar E is supported, from the ends of which depend the ropes or rods E E, intended to serve as guides for the cab D.

Near the bottom of the tower, as seen in,

Fig. 1, alanding and walk, G, is provided at a suitable height to allow passage beneath it, leading from the center of the tower to one of the uprights A, with which its outer end is secured. When of considerable length, as will usually be the ease in towers of great altitude, said walk may be strengthened by trusses. In this case it is shown as having trussed guardrails G, and also as having a suspended truss, g. g, of the sectionally triangular shape shown in Fig. 4, One of the transverse frame-pieces of this landing structure, as E, Fig. 4, gives attachment to thelower ends of the guide-ropes E, operating with the elevated bar E to hold them parallel with each other and in the same Said ropes E, when thus connected,

at this poin In lofty towers the expansion and contraction of the ropes E from exposureto. changes of temperature or other influences will be considerable. Since it is desirable. to hold said ropes uniformly taut, it. is: therefore necessary that the means by which this is donev shall be yielding.

In the case of skeleton towers constructed of tubular iron, as may be supposed to. be the case in the drawings, the long platformG will rise and fall as the ropes E expand and contract, to practically meet this condition without the provision of hinged connections of suchplatforinwith the upright A; but, if preferred, such hinged connection may be provided. When for any reason it is not desirableto connect the platform with the guides E, thebar E may be guyed to prevent rotation, and the desiredtension of the. guide-ropes may be obtained from the use of a special weight, (shown at F,). and should the. platform when connected with the ropes-beof in.- sufficient weight, thespecial weight F may be added thereto. and applied at any suitable point for the purpose.

The weight For the platform G ,when connected as described, and as.v shown in. the drawings, is; intended to represent any form.

G and obviate the use. of supports beneath it of yielding, force. applied to the guide-ropesE and adapted; to, hold them taut by a. practically uniform strain. end of the platform. G in: place. laterally, and: y S it ble stair. may be provided for reaching said platform from the ground.

For the purpose of: checking thefall of the cab shouldthelifting-rope D break, the lifting-barl) of thecabis apertured at its endsto surround the guide-ropes E, and the clampbars D? are applied in theusual orany ap proved manner, soas tobe thrown out by the- Guys y" hold the. inner spring D when released, into bearing upon the ropes E at d Said clamp-bars D are here shown as being severally pivoted to the lifting-bar at D and as having loose sliding connection with the center piece, 01 (as seen at (1 upon which the spring D immediately bears.

The. pivotal points d and the bearing end faces d of the clamping-bars D are arranged in such relation, as indicated, that the latter will first throw the ropes E outward against the ends d of the lifting-bar D and will continue thereafter to bite the rope under strain from the falling cab until the latter is arrested.

While the general construction and mode of applying the clamping-bars D as shown in the drawings, is not materially different from those seen in elevators having rigid or fixed guides, it is obvious that in combination with the yielding and flexible guides E, and with theopposingsupport affordedby the ends d of the lifting-bar D an entirely new action is obtained, depending on theyielding character of the guides The opposingbeari-ngs d d may of course be transposed, if desired.

As will be seen in Fig. 2, the fittings 6*- are screw-threaded into the fittings A. By-this means the converging bar-s0 may be adjusted to suspend the cab and its guides accurately in the centerof the tower.

If preferred, the threaded projections of the fittings 0* may rest looselyin the fittings A, and be provided with nuts, which rest on the latter, and which allow of the adjustment of the legs 0 at any time, if found desirableor necessary, after the toweris completed. In such adjustment the rods O -rotate in the fit? ting G, orthe foot-pieces of the standards may rotate on said rods.

The mode of operating the elevator is only suggested in the drawings by the rope D trained over the pulley 0 but other modes may be employed without departure from my invention. For example, the cab may be raised and loweredby known devices Worked by theoccupant, and operating in connection with the guides E, orin connection withathi-rd rope or bar, also suspended and stationary.

IIO

The usewof such devices-would dispense with the trained hoisting-rope D" and the special devices by which the pulley-C issustained, but would not effect the operation of parts retained.

lower-ends of said guides being fi-xedlyhel'd.

The platform or landing- G, located between the tower-uprights, and at an elevation to allow passage beneathit, is made the subject of a separate application for-patent.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with the uprights-A. of a standards, whereby the mast is supported and 10 stayed, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN S. ADAMS. Witnesses:

M. E. DAYTON, W. (J. ADAMS. 

